Heart's Desire
by Cherry Romancer
Summary: A note for all those who may have been reading this story.
1. New Student

"Heart's Desire"  
  
Chapter One  
  
"New Student"  
  
Cherry: Well, this is going to be my first Yu-Gi-Oh! story!  
  
Yami: We're all very proud of you, Cherry!  
  
Cherry: Thank you Yami!  
  
Yugi: I hope that this story won't have Yami and me in love or anything. Not that Yami isn't a great friend or anything, but I'm not gay! I'm not!  
  
Cherry: I know that. Trust me. You and Yami won't be in love in this story.  
  
Yami and Yugi: GOOD!!!  
  
Cherry: (giggles) Anyways, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! I don't own the characters of the show either (looks at Yugi) even though I wish I did own certain characters. (Yugi gulps) I only own my own original characters.  
  
Yugi: (hides behind Yami)  
  
Yami: You chicken.  
  
Cherry: Anyways, let's start the story.  
  
Yugi: (relaxes) Good idea.  
  
Cherry: (grabs Yugi)  
  
Yugi: ACK!!!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yugi pulled himself slowly out of bed. He wanted to sleep some more, but it was a school day; he had to get up. After a quick shower, Yugi got dressed and grabbed the Millennium Puzzle, accidentally waking up Yami.  
  
"Hey! What the?" Yami yelped.  
  
"Sorry Yami," Yugi apologized. "I was trying not to wake you."  
  
"That's okay Hikari," Yami said, drifting back off.  
  
"Yugi!" Solomon called up the stairs. "It's time for you to head off to school!"  
  
"Coming Grandpa!" Yugi yelled back. He grabbed his bookbag and ran down the stairs.  
  
"See you after school Grandpa!" Yugi replied brightly. He headed out the door quickly, realizing that he was running a little late. In his hurry, Yugi ran headfirst into someone as he came around a corner. He and the person fell to the ground.  
  
"Oh, sorry about that!" Yugi said quickly, looking down. "I wasn't watching where I was going."  
  
"Well, watch it next time!" snapped a girl's voice. Yugi looked up at the person in front of him. It was a girl who appeared to be around his age, judging by her figure, with gray eyes and reddish-brown hair, but she was very short, just as he was. In fact, she was shorter than he was, even if only by an inch. Yugi got up and took her hand to help her to her feet. That was when he noticed that she was wearing the girl's uniform of his school.  
  
"You new?" he asked.  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Why?"  
  
"That's the girl's school uniform at my school," Yugi explained. "I've never seen you around before, so are you new?"  
  
"Yeah," she muttered. That was when Yugi realized he was still holding her hand. Blushing, he let go quickly.  
  
The girl looked at him in the eye. "Could you help me? I'm kinda lost. I don't know my way around the city, and if I don't get to school soon, I'm gonna be late!"  
  
Yugi noticed that she had a slight southern accent, though it was hardly noticeable. Why was he noticing all these little things about this girl? "Sure, I'll help. I need to get to school too, so why not?" He smiled at her. "What's your name?"  
  
"Kaelyn. My name's Kaelyn Usher," she answered. Then she smiled at him too, her cheeks hardly tinged with pink. "And you're Yugi Moto unless I miss my guess."  
  
"Yeah. How'd you know?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Anyone who's into Duel Monsters has heard of you!" Kaelyn said brightly. "Now, let's hurry before we're late!"  
  
The two of them ran down the street, Yugi in the lead, and made it to school in time. After directing her to the office, Yugi set out for his class, where his friends were waiting.  
  
"Hey, Yuge, where ya been?" Joey called as soon as Yugi entered the classroom.  
  
"Woke up late and then got sidetracked with something," he explained as he sat down.  
  
"Sidetracked with what?" Tristan asked. "Does it have to do with . . ."  
  
"Naw, no Rare Hunters," Yugi assured him.  
  
"Then what?" Tea asked.  
  
Yugi was about to answer when the bell rang and the teacher walked in. The whole class sat down as the teacher walked to the front of the class.  
  
"Good morning everyone," she said cheerfully.  
  
"Good morning Ms. Haruna," several students answered.  
  
"Well, now, let's get right down to business, shall we? Okay, first attendance. Let's see . . ."  
  
But before Ms. Haruna could start calling out names, the classroom door opened.  
  
"Oh, yes, we mustn't forget," Ms. Haruna said. "Class, we have a new student in our class. Please welcome Ms. Kaelyn Usher."  
  
Yugi's head snapped up when he heard the name. Kaelyn? The girl he had just met that morning?  
  
Sure enough, there was no mistaking those eyes. She seemed to be a bit nervous at entering a new class.  
  
"Okay, now, Ms. Usher, let's find you a seat." Ms. Haruna looked around the classroom. "Oh, there's one! Right next to Mr. Moto!"  
  
Yugi looked next to him at the unoccupied seat, then at Kaelyn. She grinned at Yugi as she sat down.  
  
"Well, if I'd known you were going to be in my class, I'd have just brought you here," Yugi whispered jokingly. Kaelyn giggled.  
  
"Well, at least I know one person in here," she whispered back.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cherry: Well Yugi? How was that?  
  
Yugi: Well, it was something. At least I'm not pining over Yami.  
  
Yami: You're really bent on that, aren't you?  
  
Yugi: Yes. There's hardly any stories in which I'm not in love with you or some other guy. There's even been a few that have me in love with Kaiba! (shudders)  
  
Cherry: Well, not here Yuge! You are 100% straight in my story!  
  
Yugi: YAY!  
  
Yami: Now, please review so that Cherry will continue this.  
  
Yugi: Yes, please! Review!  
  
Cherry: I will be back with more to this story! 


	2. Time to Duel

"Heart's Desire"  
  
Chapter Two  
  
"Time to Duel"  
  
Cherry: I got no reviews! Why? (whimpers)  
  
Yami: It's not the end of the world. There's still more to come.  
  
Yugi: Yeah, Cherry. Give them time. They'll review.  
  
Cherry: (sniffles) Yeah, I guess you're right. How could such hot guys like you be wrong?  
  
Yami: (vanishes back into the Millennium Puzzle)  
  
Cherry: Aw, damn! Well, I've still got you Yugi!!  
  
Yugi: AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!  
  
Cherry: (grabs Yugi again) You can't disappear into the puzzle like Yami can! You're stuck with me, your compulsive, virtually obsessive fan girl!  
  
Yugi: Please, go back to chasing Inu-Yasha!!!  
  
Cherry: Whoever said I gave him up? But you're here right now, and he isn't! (squeezes Yugi)  
  
Yugi: START STORY!!! START STORY!!!!!  
  
\Yugi to Yami/ \\Yami to Yugi// ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yugi invited Kaelyn to sit with him and his friends at lunch that day. She was more than happy to join them; she loved to make friends, but she always had a hard time doing so because of her nasty temper and bad attitude. She really rather liked Yugi, though, and wanted to meet the people he was close to.  
  
The gang waited for Yugi at their usual table. They seemed a little surprised when the new girl walked over with him. In class all morning, she had been a bit snippy to other students, and she tended to snap her answers when the teacher called on her. They were surprised that someone like that would get along with someone like Yugi.  
  
"Hey, guys!" Yugi said brightly when he and Kaelyn sat down. He didn't seem to think there was anything unusual at all.  
  
"Hey Yuge!" Joey said. "Err, aren't ya gonna introduce your friend to us?"  
  
Yugi half-smirked. "Kaelyn, these are my best friends in the world, Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, and Tea Gardener. Everyone, this is Kaelyn Usher."  
  
"Nice to meet you," Tea said politely, if a little uncomfortably. Kaelyn caught her tone of voice.  
  
"Hey, don't worry," she said. "I know that I was acting like a real bitch in class, but I'm not going to growl at any of you. Yugi's friends are my friends."  
  
"How did you two meet, because it's obvious that you knew each other before class today," Tristan pointed out.  
  
Kaelyn gave Yugi a rueful grin, and Yugi gave her an embarrassed one. "Since I was panicking about being late this morning, I didn't watch where I was going, and when I came around a corner, I ran into Kaelyn headfirst."  
  
"Knocked us both down, but he apologized and helped me up. That was when I recognized him as the famous duelist Yugi Moto. I've always been a fan of his, because I heard he duels with honor and is always kind to his opponents when they lose. I really respect that."  
  
Yugi turned slightly pink.  
  
"Anyway, he showed me the way to school, and we talked along the way. We became friends instantly."  
  
"You like ta duel?" Joey asked.  
  
Kaelyn grinned. "It's my all-time favorite game."  
  
"Then how about dueling me? No big thing, just something for fun," Joey challenged.  
  
Kaelyn gave Joey a dangerous-looking smile, which made Joey wonder if he'd just challenged his way to disaster. "You're on, Wheeler. I hope you're a good loser."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Tristan, Tea, and Yugi stood around as the two set up in the dueling arena in the gym, placed there courtesy of Seto Kaiba. Yami was watching too, through Yugi's eyes. He sensed something odd about the girl, and was curious about the way she dueled.  
  
"You go first, Joey," Kaelyn said, her voice sounding very much like the soft hiss of a serpent.  
  
"Okay then," Joey said. "First I lay one card face down, then I play Baby Dragon in attack mode."  
  
Kaelyn drew a card and looked at her hand, then at Joey's side of the field, then her hand again, then the field. She grinned.  
  
"Too easy," she whispered. "I play my favorite card, Dark Magician Girl, in attack mode!"  
  
"Dark Magician Girl?" Joey yelped.  
  
"And, I add to her power the Book of Secret Arts, raising her attack points by three hundred! Plus I'll place one card face down on the field, just as you did. Now, I attack with my Dark Magician Girl!"  
  
"Wrong!" Joey said, grinning. Kaelyn blinked. "I could tell from the way you were acting that you were gonna be a tough opponent right off the bat, so I laid this card down just for you!"  
  
He picked up his face down card, and showed it to her. It was Acid Trap Hole.  
  
"Acid Trap Hole?" Kaelyn squeaked.  
  
"Yep! It's my special way of welcoming you to our school!"  
  
The Dark Magician Girl, however, continued right over the hole and destroyed the Baby Dragon.  
  
"What the? Why didn't it work?"  
  
"That trap should have stopped her attack, and destroyed her monster on top of that!" Tea said.  
  
Yugi was confused too, until he remembered that she had played a face down card too. "Her face down card! That's what did it!"  
  
She smirked. "Right. I admit I panicked for a moment when I saw Acid Trap Hole, but my card allowed me to prevent it from working."  
  
"How?" Joey demanded. Kaelyn picked up the card and showed him.  
  
"It's a Magic card called Mystical Space Typhoon, and it allows me to destroy one Magic or Trap card on my opponent's side of the field. I chose to destroy your Acid Trap Hole. Not only could my Dark Magician Girl attack safely, but you've lost 1100 Life Points in one attack."  
  
Tristan let out a low whistle. "That's a strong duelist. Just one move, and she's already got Joey on the ropes."  
  
"Let's wait and see what happens," Yugi said. "You know how well Joey can make comebacks."  
  
"Alright, it's my turn now," Joey said, drawing a card. He grinned at what he now held in his hand, then at Kaelyn.  
  
"What are you looking so happy about?" she snapped.  
  
"I'm happy about this!" Joey yelled. "Go, Red Eyes Black Dragon!" (A/n: In my story at least, Yugi returned the Red Eyes to Joey after the tournament.)  
  
The ferocious dragon made its appearance. Kaelyn gasped.  
  
"I'll also play two cards face down. Now, Red Eyes Black Dragon! Attack the Dark Magician Girl!"  
  
The Red Eyes blasted a jet of fire at the Dark Magician Girl, effectively wiping her out. Even though Kaelyn only lost 100 Life Points, she still was vastly upset over the loss of her favorite monster, and it was very obvious that she was.  
  
"My Dark Magician Girl!! HOW DARE YOU!!!!" she screeched, her voice hurting everyone's ears. "You will pay for this dearly, Wheeler! I promise you!!"  
  
Yugi suddenly felt something from Yami that was extraordinarily like apprehension. \What's the matter Yami? / he asked.  
  
\\I have a very strange feeling about that girl, Hikari, // Yami answered. \\We must be very careful around her. There's something odd about her eyes . . . //  
  
Kaelyn drew her next card, looked at it, and gave Joey a dark look. Yugi suddenly saw what Yami must have noticed. Kaelyn's eyes suddenly seemed to be turning dark and hazy, but at the same time, they appeared to glow with power.  
  
"You're finished now, Wheeler!" Kaelyn announced. She held up her card and everyone gasped.  
  
"Oh no! That's . . ." Joey began.  
  
"That's right! It's one of my favorite Magic Cards. Tremendous Fire! It's true that I'll lose 500 Life Points from this card, but you lose 1000, which is more than enough to finish you off!"  
  
"Aw no! I lost!" Joey said.  
  
He and Kaelyn stepped down from the dueling platforms. Joey was obviously upset over having lost the duel so fast, but the duel had been so intense right from the start that it seemed to have lasted a lot longer.  
  
"That was a good match," he said courteously to Kaelyn.  
  
The new girl smiled, all sweetness again, the demonic look gone from her eyes. "Thanks Joey! Same to you! That was one of the shortest duels I've ever been in, but it most certainly was also one of the most intense!" She looked at Yugi. "Maybe I could duel someone else later on, though, after I've had a little more practice. I don't think I'm quite an expert of the game yet."  
  
Yugi forced a smile. "I'm looking forward to when you decide to challenge me," he said honestly.  
  
Kaelyn gave him a sunny smile, but Yugi noticed that her eyes flickered to the puzzle. It was only once, and just briefly, but the look that flared in her eyes when she did told him that Yami was right; there was something odd about the short young woman that he had befriended that morning.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cherry: I love leaving things in suspense! I love cliffhangers!!  
  
Yugi: (is still being squeezed) I love to breathe!!!  
  
Cherry: (realizes that she never let go of Yugi) Oops! Sorry Yuge!  
  
Yugi: (is busy gasping for air)  
  
Yami: (reappears) Well, that another chapter down, and lots more to go, knowing you.  
  
Cherry: Hey, what would you know, hiding from me in that puzzle?  
  
Yami: I'm not a coward, but I'm not stupid either! I wasn't about to let you get me into one of your bear hugs!  
  
Yugi: Great for you! She nearly killed me!  
  
Cherry: Oh, hush you two! Now people, please, review my story this time!!! I really want someone to acknowledge the existence of my Yu-Gi-Oh! story! Please! Reviews!! Yugi, tell them to review! If I don't get any, I'm gonna need a comfort hug!  
  
Yugi: ACK! REVIEW!! REVIEW!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! 


	3. Another Millennium Item?

"Heart's Desire"  
  
Chapter Three  
  
"Another Millennium Item?"  
  
Cherry: Hurray! I got a lot of reviews this time!! Yay!!!!!  
  
Yugi: (sighs with relief)  
  
Yami: Congrats, Cherry. I guess this means that people do like your story.  
  
Cherry: It does, doesn't it? (does a happy dance all around the room) People like my story! People like my story!  
  
Yugi and Yami: (anime sweatdrop)  
  
Yugi: Anyway, before she decides to hug me again, let's start the story.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
\ It's weird. I wouldn't have seen it in her eyes if I hadn't been looking for it, but there was definitely something strange about her, / Yugi thought to Yami during class after lunch. He looked over to Kaelyn. She was taking notes, but obviously not interested. Yugi never would have guessed anything strange about her from that; she looked like half the girls in class.  
  
\\ That's why I pointed it out to you, Hikari, // Yami thought back. \\ I sensed something weird about her when Joey challenged her to that duel. //  
  
\ And she wiped Joey out so fast. It was almost like the magic of a Millennium Item, but that's impossible. We know where all the Millennium Items are, and she doesn't have one of them, right? / Yami didn't answer. \ Yami? / He sensed Yami's hesitation. \ Yami, what is it? / Yugi demanded.  
  
\\ Er, what would you say if I told you there were once eight Millennium Items? // Yami asked Yugi reluctantly.  
  
Yugi had to stop himself from yelling out loud. He didn't see Kaelyn glance at him out of the corner of her eye. \ What do you mean, an eighth Millennium Item? / Yugi mentally screamed.  
  
Yami didn't seem too eager to answer, at least, not until Yugi threatened, \ If you would rather not have any chocolate cake for dessert tonight . . . / Yami groaned. His biggest weakness besides his friends was his chocolate addiction.  
  
\\ Okay, okay. Before I got sealed into the puzzle, there was one last sorcerer, or should I say sorceress, to be dealt with. Her name was Neferti, and she held immense power, a power that could have rivaled mine. She, too, wanted to control the powers of the Shadow Realm for her own purposes, so I had to seal her soul away like I did the others. // Yami stopped there, and Yugi felt an odd sort of pain coming from him.  
  
\ Something wrong? / he asked.  
  
\\ No, nothing, // Yami said.  
  
Yugi chose not to push the subject. \ What was the eighth item? / he asked instead.  
  
\\ It was a sword, // Yami answered.  
  
Yugi decided to stop. There was now definitely a pronounced pain coming from Yami, and he didn't want to make it worse. Instead, he tried to decide how to find out if Kaelyn had the other Millennium Item.  
  
The last bell rang, shaking Yugi from his thoughts.  
  
"Okay, class, see you on Monday, and don't forget your homework!" Ms. Haruna said cheerfully.  
  
The class made a beeline for the door, but Yugi and Kaelyn lagged behind a little, gathering their things. As Yugi started to leave, a giggle from Kaelyn behind him stopped him.  
  
"Yugi, you are a bit stupid, you know that?" Kaelyn said.  
  
Yugi raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"I mean that you shouldn't talk to Yami in the middle of class, or you could miss something that could make you fail." Kaelyn giggled at Yugi shocked expression. "I do have the sword, you know. You can just tell Yami that Neferti hasn't forgotten what he did to her, and she wants to pay him back." She gave Yugi an affectionate smile. "But I promise, Yugi, that I won't let her hurt you. You're my friend. I won't let her harm you."  
  
She kissed Yugi on the cheek and was out of the classroom before Yugi could process another thought. He ran after her immediately, but was stopped by Tea.  
  
"Hey, Yugi, come on! I thought we were all going to get some pizza after school," she reminded him.  
  
"Yeah. Pizza," Yugi mumbled, barely listening. Tea caught his tone of voice.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked.  
  
Yugi looked at Kaelyn quickly disappearing figure down the hallway, then turned to Tea and said, "I have got something really important to tell you all. I tell you when we catch up with Joey and Tristan."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cherry: That chapter was a little straightforward, but I think it's appropriate.  
  
Yami: Sure. Hey, why didn't you explain what was going on with me?  
  
Cherry: Because it's a surprise, silly!!  
  
Yugi: I hope it's a good one. This story needs to keep up the quality.  
  
Cherry: You like the story too, then?  
  
Yugi: (smiles) Of course I do.  
  
Cherry: (hugs Yugi)  
  
Yugi: ACK!!!!  
  
Yami: (shakes head) Keep the reviews coming. Maybe she'll let go of Yugi if she get more reviews. 


	4. Attraction

"Heart's Desire"  
  
Chapter Four  
  
"Attraction"  
  
Cherry: (releases Yugi) Yippee! I don't know if it's the fact that I keep on choking Yugi or I'm just writing a decent story, but people are giving me positive feedback!  
  
Yugi: It's the story!!  
  
Yami: (snickers) I think it's both.  
  
Yugi: (glares at Yami)  
  
Cherry: I don't care. For this chapter, at least, I promise you that I will give Yugi no bear hugs or anything.  
  
Yugi: (almost cries with relief)  
  
Cherry: All my affection this chapter will go to Yami!  
  
Yami: WHAT???  
  
Cherry: (grabs Yami before he can disappear into the puzzle)  
  
Yami: HELP!!  
  
Yugi: (laughs) Not so funny now, is it?  
  
Yugi's thought's {Yami's thoughts}  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Are you serious?" Tristan asked after Yugi told them about the Millennium Sword and who possessed it. They were sitting in a booth at the pizza place.  
  
"Dead serious," Yugi replied grimly. "Kaelyn has the sword, and the spirit inside the sword wants revenge against Yami for sealing her inside of the sword."  
  
\\ . . . That's not what she wants revenge for . . . // Yami whispered quietly, so quietly that Yugi almost didn't catch it.  
  
\ What's that supposed to mean? / Yugi asked. Yami didn't answer.  
  
"What is it Yug?" Joey asked.  
  
Yugi shook his head. "I don't know. Yami's acting strangely."  
  
"Of course, he would have known the spirit of the sword when they were both still alive," Tristan said.  
  
"That's right," Yugi confirmed, nodding his head. "But there's something weird. Yami just said that the sword's spirit . . . I think he said her name was Neferti? Anyway, he said that she doesn't want revenge for being sealed into the sword."  
  
"What else could there be?" Tea wondered.  
  
"I have no idea, and Yami's not telling," Yugi grumbled. He suddenly sighed and put his head down on the table. "Why does it have to be Kaelyn? Why?" he muttered under his breath.  
  
"Is there some sort of problem?" Tea asked. Yugi sat up.  
  
"Did I say that out loud?" Yugi said. They nodded and Yugi blushed.  
  
"Yugi, are you trying to tell us you have a thing for her? You only just met her today," Joey asked.  
  
Yugi's blush deepened. That was all the answer they needed.  
  
"You have a crush on her? You only just met her!" Tristan said.  
  
"Yeah. That somehow doesn't fit your character," Tea agreed.  
  
"I never said crush!" Yugi argued. "But there is something about her that I feel kind of . . . attracted to . . ." Yugi's entire face was a deep crimson by then, and they could practically feel the heat radiating off of him.  
  
Joey got one of his wise-guy grins and put a hand on Yugi's shoulder. "Oh my. It would seem that our little boy is growing up!" he teased. Yugi, in a state of total humiliation, rewarded Joey by throwing the remainder of his soda in his face and storming out of the pizza parlor.  
  
"Okay, mental note," Tea said. "Never, ever tease Yugi about any crushes he might have."  
  
"If you do, he may react violently," Tristan added.  
  
Joey just sat there, soda dripping down his face.  
  
~*~*~  
  
\\ Hikari, was that really necessary? // Yami asked cautiously after Yugi had stormed about three blocks from the pizza place. He was hesitant to say anything because he'd never seen his light have such a temper about anything. In fact, Yugi avoided losing his temper with a passion.  
  
By that time, Yugi had simmered down a bit and was regretting losing it like that. \ Probably not. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that, / he admitted. \ I'll call Joey later and apologize. /  
  
When he got home, another surprise was waiting for him. His grandfather was helping a short customer with reddish-brown hair and gray eyes. Yugi stopped short. It was Kaelyn.  
  
When she heard the door to the game shop open, she turned out of curiosity to see who it was, then smiled. "Yugi! How nice to see you here! Looking for some new cards?"  
  
"Uh, no. I live here," he said.  
  
Kaelyn's smile got even bigger. "How cool!! Then can I come in?"  
  
"Uh . . ." Yugi said.  
  
"Uh . . ." Solomon echoed.  
  
"Perfecto!" Kaelyn said happily, not bothering to wait for a proper response. She went right through the door that led to the apartment above the shop.  
  
"Hey! Hold on!" Yugi yelped suddenly, dashing after her. "We didn't actually give you permission!"  
  
"So you're going to kick me out?" she asked, her voice full of sarcastic sadness. "But I've no place to go!" she fake-whined, pretending to faint onto Yugi. "Who can I turn to if not my friends?"  
  
Yugi, who was slightly pink now from being so close to Kaelyn, said, "You can turn to a director for a career in acting."  
  
Kaelyn smirked and got off of him. "I love you too Yugi," she said sarcastically, turning away from him to head upstairs, which was fortunate, because Yugi had gone to a virtually unattainable shade of red.  
  
Okay, I know she didn't mean that, but still! he thought.  
  
He went upstairs after her, and saw that the girl had no qualms about making herself at home in someone else's place; she had taken her shoes off, her book bag was laying in the middle of the living room floor, and she was sitting on the couch, flipping through channels on the TV.  
  
Yugi shook his head. "Comfy?" he joked.  
  
"Very," she replied, readjusting herself on the couch so that Yugi could come and sit next to her. "Come sit down!" she almost ordered, patting the spot next to her.  
  
Figuring it best not to argue, Yugi sat, even though being right next to her made him turn pink again.  
  
"Ah, here we go!" Kaelyn said, stopping her channel surfing. She had come across a good movie called "The Mummy."  
  
Yugi made a face. "I don't like scary movies," he said. Unlike other guys, he had no problem with admitting that some movies frightened him. Kaelyn smiled.  
  
"Don't sweat it. I've seen this before, and it's not really that scary," she assured him.  
  
"Fine, but if I wake up at midnight from a nightmare, I'm calling you and waking you up too," Yugi teased.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, wise guy," she said. Then, to Yugi's surprise, Kaelyn stretched out on the couch, placing her head right on his lap. Yugi's pink cheeks now turned red.  
  
"This is nice," she said. "It's nice to be able to do something without Neferti hovering over me, trying to dictate my every action. I guess it's because she understands that I like you a lot."  
  
She suddenly sat up, clapping her hand over her mouth. "I shouldn't have told you that!" she exclaimed, now blushing herself. She got up, picked up her book bag, pulled on her shoes, and said quickly, "Um, I'll see you at school tomorrow Yugi! BYE!" And in a half a blink, she was gone.  
  
Yugi sat there, looking at the door in bemusement. "She likes me?" he mumbled.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yami: (is choking) Oxygen! Oxygen!!!  
  
Cherry: (let's Yami go) Well, I hope you like this chapter!  
  
Yugi: Well, the whole crush thing is moving a bit fast.  
  
Cherry: Not a crush. An attraction. Those are two different things, silly.  
  
Yugi: Oh. Well, that's no big deal then.  
  
Yami: (gasps for air) I still want to know the deal with the spirit of the sword.  
  
Cherry: All in good time, oh impatient one.  
  
Yugi: Well, like always, read and review, and no flames! 


	5. Past Pain

"Heart's Desire"  
  
Chapter Five  
  
"Past Pain"  
  
Cherry: I love you two guys! I kinda wish that Ryou was here too, but I like you guys more than him, so I'll live.  
  
Yugi: Sadly, he's not.  
  
Yami: What makes you say sadly?  
  
Yugi: If she had someone else to hug, she'd lay off of us.  
  
Yami: Good point. Maybe I should go find him.  
  
Cherry: (slams and locks door) You're going nowhere! I think Ryou's cool and everything, but you two are my favorite characters from the show!  
  
Yugi: I'm flattered, but couldn't you leave us alone a bit?  
  
Cherry: I could, but I won't!  
  
Yami: (sighs) Let's just start the story.  
  
/ Kaelyn to Neferti \ // Neferti to Kaelyn \\ ^Kaelyn's thoughts^ [Neferti's thoughts]  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yugi sat staring at the door for a good half hour after Kaelyn left. Her little blurt-out had him feeling odd. He felt embarrassed, first and foremost, but he also felt happy, confused, and ever so slightly hopeful. He'd never felt this way about anyone, and the fact that it was someone he barely knew that was making him feel this way was a bit confusing to him.  
  
\\ It's not unusual to feel strongly attracted to someone, Aibou, // Yami assured him.  
  
\ I know that, but it's strange. It's not like this is the first time I've felt attracted to someone, but every other time, I got to know the person first. It was knowing who they were that made me feel attracted to them. /  
  
\\ You're changing, Yugi. You're growing up. Of course things will be different for you. //  
  
\ Yeah, yeah, I know. . . . . . . . . Damn it. Why do I have to go through puberty? Damn teenage hormones. /  
  
Yami was a bit surprised. \\ I've never heard you swear before. //  
  
\ So what? Just because you haven't heard me doesn't mean I haven't. / Yugi snapped.  
  
\\ Why are you so touchy today Hikari? // Yami asked after a moment.  
  
\ . . . . . I don't know . . . / Yugi said quietly after a while. He was in a very odd place that day. He couldn't remember ever being this moody. First, throwing soda in Joey's face without any reasonable cause, and now snapping at Yami for voicing surprise at him swearing because he never did swear in front of anyone before. Why was he in such a bad temper that day?  
  
Solomon came upstairs as Yugi stood up and turned off the television. "What happened with that girl, Yugi? She took off as though Marik and his Rare Hunters were after her."  
  
"She said something that embarrassed herself, jii-chan," Yugi explained. And embarrassed me too, he thought to himself, turning pink once again.  
  
"What could she have said that embarrassed herself like that?" Solomon wondered. "She was talking to me while she was looking through some cards in the game shop before you got home, and I got the impression that she wasn't an easy person to make sad, or embarrass, or anything of that nature."  
  
"She is, jii-chan," Yugi confirmed quickly. The more he thought about Kaelyn, the more he blushed.  
  
"What happened then?"  
  
"Nothing," Yugi said, now reaching red. It was about this time that Solomon noticed the color of his grandson's face. He decided to let the subject drop.  
  
"Okay then," he said. "I'll just go back down to the store then. You should get started with your homework."  
  
"I will," Yugi replied, glad for the change of subject. "I'm lucky. I didn't get much tonight."  
  
"Get it over with, then," Solomon said, smiling at Yugi. He turned and headed back down to the shop.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"I have to have the world's biggest mouth!!" Kaelyn berated herself as she walked down the street. She was thoroughly embarrassed at having told Yugi she really liked him. She just hoped that he didn't read between the lines to see her huge crush on him.  
  
Kaelyn had had a crush on Yugi ever since she had heard of him. She had always had a thing for compassionate guys, and Yugi was clearly very compassionate, to judge by how nicely he treated his dueling opponents after they lost to him. She also thought Yugi was the most handsome guy she had ever laid eyes on. She loved his tri-color hair, often wondering how he got it to stay like that, she loved his child-like face, and she knew that she had never seen such beautiful eyes in her life. Large, clear, bright, and utterly gorgeous, his amethyst eyes that shone with an obvious innocence until he dueled. She smiled to herself. When he changed into Yami for duels or when he was in trouble, he lost some of that beauty that she loved. She was very attracted to his purity and innocence.  
  
Kaelyn gave an ironic snort. ^I'm falling in love with the boy, and I only met him in person today,^ she thought. ^Granted, I've had a crush on him for a long time, but still, one day? Neferti's not going to let me hear the end on this one.^  
  
Kaelyn liked Neferti a lot. When she got the Millennium Sword, she had been quite afraid at first of the dark spirit that lived within it, but after getting to know her, Kaelyn realized that the dark spirit was not an evil one, but someone that was everything that she herself was not. Neferti did not have a bad temper as Kaelyn did, nor did she drive others away from herself. She did, however, possess a strength of character that Kaelyn had yet to obtain, and Neferti had a lot more confidence in herself than Kaelyn. Even though she pretended otherwise, Kaelyn was actually quite unsure of herself, and she covered it up by being a bitch a lot of the time. Even though she couldn't bring herself to be that way with Yugi . . .  
  
It was quite disconcerting when she learned from Neferti that Yugi not only held another Millennium Item, but the Millennium Item that held the soul of the pharaoh, Yami, the one she sought for vengeance. Kaelyn smiled sadly as she remembered what Neferti told her. She, Neferti, had been in love with the pharaoh, and the pharaoh had said that he was in love with her as well. They had been promised to each other for marriage, but then the Shadow Wars had begun, and Yami had been forced to fight against all these mages that were attempting to control the Shadow Realm's power.  
  
Neferti, who was able to use the power of the Shadow Realm herself, wanted to help, but Yami refused her, saying that it was too dangerous for her to get involved. Frustrated, determined to aid the man she loved, Neferti trained in secret, learning better to harness the magic of the Shadow Realm. Neferti admitted that she didn't recall exactly what she had used her powers for, once she had full control of them, but she did remember that Yami had betrayed her.  
  
Kaelyn shuddered as she remembered the intense wave of bitterness and hatred that had flowed off of Neferti when she had come to this part of the story. Yami had turned his magic against her, and used it to seal her soul into the sword, where she remained imprisoned for 5,000 years, and although she knew that his soul had been sealed away as well, she longed for revenge. She had loved him, and he had said he loved her, but how could he have if he sealed her away as he had sealed the mages, ending her life simply because she had to be strong enough to help him? Neferti's heart ached bitterly from that betrayal. Kaelyn could tell that she was still in love with Yami, but all that was doing was deepening her resentment.  
  
Other than that one little revenge issue, though, Neferti was to Kaelyn what Yami was to Yugi. The two of them were like sisters, and Kaelyn did not want to think of life without Neferti now.  
  
// Hikari? \\ Neferti spoke up suddenly.  
  
/ Yes? \ Kaelyn answered.  
  
// I need to talk to you. \\  
  
/ About what? \  
  
// Yami's light. \\  
  
Kaelyn frowned. / You promised me that when you got your revenge, you would not harm Yugi. He's not the one your grudge is against, after all. \  
  
// I know that. I was merely going to say that you shouldn't allow yourself to become too attached to the boy. I promised that I would try to not harm him, and I will hold to that promise, but he seems to be the sort that will protect his friends with his life if need be, and Yami shares a part of his soul, just as you and I do. If I'm forced to, I may have to kill Yugi to be able to get at Yami, and I will do it if it comes to that. I will avoid it as much as I can, but it's not unfeasible that I may have to kill him. I just want you to be aware of that, Aibou, that's all. I don't want you to be hurt. \\  
  
But Kaelyn had already been aware of it. She knew what Neferti was capable of, and she also knew that she would go through any and all obstacles to get her revenge, not that she could blame her. That kind of betrayal was one that you only heard about in movies and anime.  
  
/ Nef, please, don't hurt Yugi, \ Kaelyn pleaded. / You know how I like him. Please, don't. \  
  
// I will most certainly try, \\ Neferti said. She decided it was time for a change of subject. // Now, what do you say that when we get home, we see what kind of cards are in those new packs you bought? \\  
  
/ How'd you know about those? You were asleep when I bought them! \  
  
// They weigh in your pocket, silly. \\  
  
/ Oh. Yeah. Duh. Well, sure. \  
  
Kaelyn hurried home, eager to check out her new cards, but she did not forget about Neferti's words. They stayed with her for the rest of the night.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Yugi hung up the phone and stretched out on the couch. He'd just finished calling Joey and apologizing for the soda incident, but thinking about what it was that had irritated him enough to lose his temper like that brought him back to the subject of the Millennium Sword, and that started him wondering again about what it was that Yami was hiding from him about Neferti. It wasn't normal for Yami to keep secrets from him . . .  
  
Yugi sighed. In just one day, his life had been turned upside down again. Of course, for him, that was a record long for turning his life upside down, but still, he was tired of every time her turned around, something else big was happening to him. He knew that it was destiny, and he had no choice, and when he was honest with himself, he knew that if he did have a choice, he wouldn't change a thing, but still, Yugi flirted momentarily with the idea of having a normal life.  
  
\\ Troubles, Aibou? //  
  
\ No, just tired is all. /  
  
\\ Tired as in sleepy, or tired as in tired of everything that comes your way? //  
  
\ Both, I guess. / Yugi sighed. \ Can you really blame me? I mean, before I solved the puzzle and met you, I had an ordinary life. Now, in less than one year, my life is anything but normal, and I have to deal with it all and still try to maintain some semblance of regular living. /  
  
\\ I know that it's hard for you, Yugi, // Yami said sadly. \\ Honestly, if I had a choice, I would deal with everything on my own and let you live your life happily, but as it is, destiny will not allow it. //  
  
"I know, Yami, and thanks for that," Yugi said, speaking out loud just for the sake of hearing a voice. "I wouldn't change what's happened, though, even if I could. I'm glad I met you. You're the greatest friend I could ever imagine."  
  
\\ Thank you, Hikari, // Yami said, sounding considerably happier. \\ I just hope and pray that you will not experience any heartache over Kaelyn when it comes to the day I have to face Neferti. She will try to kill me, you know, and I can't say she wouldn't succeed. //  
  
\ She's that strong? / Yugi said, sitting up. He hadn't thought that was possible.  
  
\\ She is, Yugi, and that is why I'm so worried about you. If you try to protect me from her, she will kill you too. I know Kaelyn said that Neferti would not hurt you, but I doubt that Kaelyn knows what Neferti is really like when she uses her magic. //  
  
\ What do you mean? And what's with the pain again? Every time someone brings up the subject of Neferti, I feel it from you, just like I do now. What are you not telling me? / Yugi demanded.  
  
Yami sighed and appeared on the couch. "It hurts for me to even think about this, Yugi. That's the only reason I haven't told you yet," Yami said quietly.  
  
"You know, sharing your pain does help," Yugi said softly, trying to gently encourage the former pharaoh to tell him the secret.  
  
Yami looked at his light and smiled. "Yes, I know that Aibou. It's just that's it's hard for me to even think about, much less say. But you're right. Sharing it does help heal it, and you need to know what it is Neferti wants revenge for."  
  
Yugi turned on the couch so that he was facing Yami, giving him his complete attention. Yami had to take two deep breaths before he began.  
  
"In Egypt, when I was still ruler and before the Shadow Wars began, I met a wonderful girl and fell in love with her. She also fell in love with me. We were to be married, but the war began and we could not, because I had to fight against the power of the mages. She wanted to help me because she, too, had the powers of the Shadow Realm, but I didn't want her harmed. I did not wish for her to become involved in those horrible battles that could tear ones soul apart. Once I forbade her from fighting, she vanished for years. I had no idea what became of her, because not one person I sent to search was able to find her. Even I couldn't when I went to find her myself. Eventually, though, she came back, and I knew what had happened to her.  
  
"She had been dead set on helping me, Yugi. She wouldn't take no for an answer. She had left to train herself in secret, to learn to control her magic better than she already could. To a certain degree, she succeeded, but the change that it caused in her was the same as any to tried to learn Shadow Magic without proper guidance. The magic had driven her insane. Her insanity combined with her power made her more dangerous than any of the mages. She caused terrible destruction, not knowing what it was she was doing, and she killed, Yugi. She effectively killed half of the innocent lives in Egypt. My heart ached within me to do so, but I had no choice but to fight her and seal her within the Millennium Sword. In the last few moments of battle, Neferti somehow gained back some clarity of mind, and she finally recognized me. I was hopeful that this meant I would not have to seal her away, but when she recognized who it was she was fighting, she screamed, 'Traitor!! Why have you betrayed me, Yami?' Those were her exact words, and you can trust this because they played over and over in my nightmares while I was within the Millennium Puzzle. After she screamed this at me, she attempted to kill me for what she perceived as betrayal. She had no idea what she had been doing; some of her insanity clearly still remained. It was then that I sealed her within the sword, knowing that she now hated me, knowing that she would want to kill me if she ever saw me again."  
  
Yami stopped and drew a breath that sounded close to a sob. "I still love her, Yugi. I still wish that we could be together. I still think of her all the time, and knowing that her soul has been unlocked again fills me with both great joy and great sorrow. If she is still the same as she was, and I don't see how she could have changed too much, despite Kaelyn's influence, then she is far more dangerous than Marik's yami." Yami placed his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. "Neferti didn't seem aware of what she had become, so I doubt that either of them know what she is truly capable of. That's why I am so afraid for your safety, Aibou."  
  
Yugi was in complete shock from what Yami said. This sorceress that was bent on killing him had been his lover in ancient times? Yugi couldn't help but think that this sounded like a really bad soap opera. Briefly, he wondered if Kaelyn knew about Neferti and Yami being lovers.  
  
Know he knew why Yami hurt so much whenever the subject of Neferti was brought up, and he was thoroughly sorry he had been harsh with Yami about it. No wonder the dark spirit had had difficulty telling him.  
  
Yugi laid a comforting hand on his dark's shoulder, causing Yami to look up at him. Yugi smiled gently at Yami.  
  
"We'll find a way to help Neferti, Yami," he said. "It sounds like she needs help, and we'll find a way to do just that!"  
  
Yami blinked once, then twice. "I doubt that it's even possible, Hikari. She's been swallowed so deeply by darkness, I don't see any remote chance of pulling her back out again."  
  
"We'll find a way!" Yugi said in a more determined voice, now standing up. "Remember, she's already found her light, just like you have, so that means she can't be completely gone. We can help Kaelyn to bring Neferti out of the depths of the darkness, and bring her back to normal!"  
  
Yami blinked again, then, very slowly, a smile appeared on his face. "And in doing so, we'd be helping Kaelyn as well," he said.  
  
Yugi realized that Yami was right. Kaelyn would be safer to be around after that. Maybe he could even be alone with her sometimes and . . . Yugi stopped when he realized where his thoughts were going and blushed.  
  
"Yeah, well, anyway, that's besides the point," he said quickly, wishing that his face weren't so red. "Neferti can still be saved, and I promise you, Yami, we'll find a way to save the girl you love! . . . . . Oh, lord, that sounded like a really cheesy movie line."  
  
Yami laughed. "That it did, Aibou, but it gets the point across." Yami stood up. "Thank you, Yugi. You have no idea this means to me. I want to have my Neferti back in my arms. I want her to be able to love me again; I have for 5,000 years. Knowing that you're willing to help me to save her means so much more to me than you will ever know." Yami looked at the clock hanging on the wall. "It's late. You have school in the morning. You should go to bed now." With that, Yami disappeared back into the puzzle around Yugi's neck.  
  
Yugi smiled and headed up to his room, glad that he now knew what it was that had been troubling Yami, and glad that there may be a chance to bring back the part of his ancient life that Yugi knew he had treasured most.  
  
As he buttoned up his nightshirt, a thought occurred to him. If they did succeed, and Neferti and Yami became lovers again, then what would happen with himself and Kaelyn? Yugi's face glowed red again as he thought of the chance of him and Kaelyn becoming that much closer. Glancing at the golden pyramid shape that now sat on his desk, he grinned. While he did want to be able to date Kaelyn - Yugi had realized earlier that evening that he wasn't just attracted to her, but that he had a crush on her like his friends had thought - he knew that it wasn't as important as making sure Neferti was freed so that Yami could be truly happy once again.  
  
Dead tired, Yugi crawled into bed, and laid his head down on his pillow. His last thought before sleep overtook him was, I wonder if Kaelyn and I will fall so deeply in love?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cherry: Was this chapter long enough for you? My eyes hurt from staring at the screen as I typed it.  
  
Yugi: God, I thought that chapter wasn't going to end!  
  
Yami: Well, at least it did finally explain a lot of things. It brought up some more questions, though.  
  
Cherry: Well, duh. That's what writers do with chapters. They always leave some sort of question at the end of one so that you'll keep reading.  
  
Yugi: (grins) You'd know a lot about that, wouldn't you?  
  
Cherry: (glares at Yugi) Anyway, please, review! I still want lots of reviews!!  
  
Yami: So do we. She leaves us alone more when she gets lots of them.  
  
Cherry: (grabs Yami and hugs him) You may have a different reason, but you want reviews for my story too!! Thank you!!  
  
Yami: ACK!!! HELP!!!  
  
Yugi: Please, review! And someone hand me the Jaws of Life. Maybe I'll be able to pry Cherry off of Yami. 


	6. Saturday Plans

"Heart's Desire"  
  
Chapter Six  
  
"Saturday Plans"  
  
Cherry: A lapse of time between this chapter and the previous one. It's been about a week since Kaelyn came to town now.  
  
Yugi: I like Kaelyn. She's interesting.  
  
Cherry: More interesting than me?  
  
Yugi: (scared) No!  
  
Cherry: Oh, my character's not interesting enough for you, is she?  
  
Yugi: (more scared) I mean, yes! YES!  
  
Cherry: Now I'm not very interesting then? Is that it?  
  
Yugi: (desperate) YAMI!!!!!  
  
Yami: Cherry, what's Yugi supposed to say?  
  
Cherry: (grins) I don't care either way. I just like seeing him sweat. It makes him look hot!  
  
Yugi: (exasperated and embarrassed) Please, stop, will you? I'd rather not have a heart attack until I'm an old man.  
  
Cherry: (hugs Yugi) Okay, okay. Let's get on with the chapter!  
  
Yugi: AIR!! OXYGEN!!!!!  
  
Yami: (tries to pull Cherry off of Yugi)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yugi sat at his desk, sorting through all of his cards, reconstructing his deck. He didn't know why he felt like he had to, but he did, so he had been sitting at his desk all that Saturday morning, working on it. Yami, for some reason, didn't seem too interested in Duel Monsters for once; he hadn't ever since the day Kaelyn transferred to Yugi's school. All his thoughts seemed to be focusing around Neferti, and Yugi often had to shout now to get his attention.  
  
"There! Finished!" Yugi said at last. He triumphantly turned around to Yami, who had emerged from the puzzle earlier that day, only to find the dark spirit snoring away on the bed.  
  
Yugi rolled his eyes as Yami muttered in his sleep. More than once, Yugi caught Neferti's name in the muffled dialogue. Sighing, he got up, walked over to Yami, and shook him awake.  
  
"Wha'?" Yami said once he was awake. He was fairly disoriented.  
  
"We've got to get ready to go, Yami," Yugi said simply. "We're supposed to be meeting the others at one, and it's already twelve thirty."  
  
Yami sat up, yawning. "You get ready Yugi. I'm going to get some sleep in the puzzle." He vanished into the golden pyramid, leaving Yugi grumbling as he pulled out a change of clothes.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Where's Yugi?" Kaelyn asked Joey. They were all out in front of the arcade, waiting for the young duelist, who was late.  
  
"I dunno. It ain't like him to be late," Joey answered honestly.  
  
"There he is!" Tristan said, pointing down the street. Yugi, dressed in the same black outfit he'd worn when Yami and Tea had gone out, (A/n: In the episode that Yami learned that he'd been a pharaoh. I love that outfit!) was running at top speed in their direction.  
  
"Sorry . . . I'm late . . . guys," Yugi gasped out when he caught up with them.  
  
"What held you up?" Joey asked his little buddy.  
  
"Yami," Yugi said. Then he looked in Kaelyn's direction and his eyes widened.  
  
Her long reddish-brown hair had been pulled into a side ponytail that hung over her left shoulder, and her outfit was . . . the first word that came to Yugi's mind was "sexy." She was wearing a short-sleeved lavender jacket over a magenta tube top that showed a little bit of her cleavage. (As soon as Yugi noticed this, he turned the same color as Kaelyn's shirt.) She also wore a denim miniskirt, held up by a black belt, and she wore a pair of black velvet boots that came up to her knees. On anyone except her, the combination would have looked awful, just like some of the outfits Yugi wore would have looked terrible on any other guy, but on Kaelyn, it looked absolutely stunning.  
  
Blinking, realizing he had been staring, Yugi tore his eyes away from Kaelyn and turned to the rest of his friends. "So, what's on the agenda today guys?" he asked.  
  
"We're cruising all around the city!!" Kaelyn said happily. "I want to know everything about my new home, so we're going to see all that there is to see!"  
  
Yugi looked at her, then at Tea, who was usually the one to decide what to do on Saturdays.  
  
"She didn't give much of a choice," Tea explained. "And anyway, it kinda works, since we can figure out what to do along the way."  
  
"Then what are we waiting for?" Yugi said cheerfully. "Let's get going!" And the group of energetic teenagers took off down the streets, looking like they were about to turn Domino City inside out.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cherry: Not exactly where I was planning on leaving off on this chapter, but I still think it works.  
  
Yugi: It's just fine, Cherry.  
  
Yami: And next chapter, we can find out what five over-energetic teens can do to a city in one day.  
  
Yugi: (glares at Yami) We're not over-energetic. We're just enthusiastic.  
  
Cherry: That's it Yugi. Bend reality until it works for you. Readers, please review! 


	7. Beware of Yugi's Wrath

"Heart's Desire"  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
"Beware of Yugi's Wrath"  
  
Yami: Huh?  
  
Yugi: What?  
  
Cherry: You'll get it when you read the chapter. Oh, and Yugi, dear, please be ready to defend the idea that you're a sweet little teenager.  
  
Yugi: Meaning?  
  
Cherry: You'll see. (winks at Yami)  
  
Yami: (snickers)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Heaving a heavy sigh, Yugi flopped facedown onto his bed, exhausted by the day's events. He still couldn't believe what he had done, and what he had said, and he didn't want to imagine what Kaelyn must think of him now.  
  
Yami made an appearance next to Yugi, the faintest trace of shock still lingering in his eyes. He sat down next to Yugi and, after a moment's hesitation, asked, "Are you okay, Aibou? I've never seen you act like that, or heard you speak that way."  
  
Yugi sighed again, flipping over to face his dark half. "I don't even know, Yami. I'm not sure what's been the matter with me lately. It seems like every little thing is getting to me." He heard Yami chuckle and looked at him questioningly.  
  
"I'll tell you one thing, Aibou. I don't think that Kaiba will ever look at you the same way again." Yami chuckled some more. "The expression on his face was priceless!"  
  
Yugi managed a small smile. "I agree, but I don't know if anyone who was there will look at me the same way again," he sighed.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Kaelyn led the way to the mall while the others struggled to keep up with her. For someone so short, she sure could run fast.  
  
"This is going to be fun!" she said once they were all in front of the mall entrance. She turned around to face them all, her eyes sparkling. "Let's go in now! I love the mall!"  
  
Without waiting for any response, she hurried in the door. The others ran in after her, Yugi rolling his eyes. Even though he had a crush on her, he did find Kaelyn's hyperactive energy a little annoying.  
  
"What to look at first?" Kaelyn wondered aloud. Tea came and stood next to her, pointing to one specific store that had both girls wide-eyed and excited.  
  
"BLOOMINGDALE'S!!!" they squealed. It was all the boys could do to keep up with them when they took off at top speed.  
  
Once inside, Tea and Kaelyn gave their credit cards a good workout, barely pausing to try things on before adding it to the pile of items they were purchasing. Poor Tristan, Joey, and Yugi were soon weighed down underneath about one fourth of the store's stock. Fortunately, the girls did have enough heart to carry a few of the bags once they had left the store.  
  
"What's next?" Tea asked.  
  
"We get to pick this time!" came Tristan's voice from behind them.  
  
"Yeah! We're all supposed to be having fun!" Joey complained.  
  
"Oh! Sorry guys!" Kaelyn said. "It's just that whenever I see a Bloomingdale's, I can't stop myself." She turned to Yugi, who was barely visible behind the boxes he was carrying. "Are you okay under there, Yugi?"  
  
"Uh-huh," came Yugi's muffled, sarcastic response. Joey noticed Yugi's tone and took a couple of the boxes from him to lighten the poor boy's load.  
  
"Thanks, Joey."  
  
"No prob, Yug."  
  
Tristan suddenly snorted, causing them all to look up. Kaiba was not too far in front of them, entering the arcade. (A/n: Well, hey, Kaiba's a teen too, so he takes a Saturday every so often.)  
  
"Isn't that Seto Kaiba?" Kaelyn asked, wrinkling her nose.  
  
"Yeah, that's him," Joey grumbled. Kaelyn raised an eyebrow at Joey's tone.  
  
"None of us like him very much," Tea explained. "Yugi's the only one here that doesn't really despise him, which, by the way, doesn't make much sense since Yugi's the one he's hurt the most in the past." Tea scowled at the doorway that the young billionaire had just disappeared into.  
  
Kaelyn gazed at the door, and impassive look on her face. "Let's go into the arcade now," she said, moving towards the door.  
  
"Hey! We get to pick!" Tristan called. Too late, though. She was already through the door.  
  
"She can really move fast," Yugi remarked as he headed to the arcade as well. The bright lights inside of the noisy area caused them all to blink.  
  
"Hey, guys!" came a familiar, soft voice. They turned to see Bakura headed their way.  
  
"Hey Bakura!" Tristan said.  
  
"Hi!" Kaelyn spoke up. "You're that boy from our class, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes, that's me. And you're that new girl, Kaelyn right?"  
  
"Right in one!" The two teenagers smiled brightly at each other. Yugi saw something in Bakura's eyes when he looked at Kaelyn that made him feel a bit strange, so he diverted Bakura's attention away from the young woman.  
  
"What's going on Bakura?" he asked casually, effectively drawing his gaze from the redhead.  
  
"Oh, nothing really," Bakura said, shrugging. "I was on my out, to be honest with you. See, Kaiba just came in here."  
  
"We know," Joey said, his dislike for Kaiba plain.  
  
Bakura looked a little surprised. "Then what are you doing in here? I would have thought you'd steer clear."  
  
All eyes turned to Kaelyn. She shrugged. "I want to know what the big deal is about this guy. I mean, sure, he has that whole 'I'm-the-ice-man' aura going on and everything, but he can't be all that bad."  
  
Even Yugi let out a snort at that comment. "I don't hate Kaiba, but I'm not exactly his best friend either, and honestly, I think it might be a good idea if we just leave him alone."  
  
Kaelyn shook her head. "Nope. I'm an interfering busybody. I must know what the big deal is!"  
  
And she marched straight over to the virtual duel arena where Kaiba was observing a duel and parked herself right next to him. Sighing with exasperation, Yugi moved to stand next to her, on the opposite side of where Kaiba was standing, the rest of the group staying back a little ways, not wanting to be too near Kaiba.  
  
"Hiya!" Kaelyn said cheerfully to Kaiba.  
  
Kaiba looked at the short girl out of the corner of his eye, raising an eyebrow when he noticed how pretty she was. "Can I help you with something?" he asked coldly.  
  
Kaelyn wasn't surprised by his coldness; she'd heard a long time ago that Seto Kaiba was a walking ice sculpture. "I just wanted to introduce myself. I want to know as many people as I can," she said. When there was no response from Kaiba, she continued, "The only reason I feel bold enough to say hi to you is because you know Yugi."  
  
Kaiba's attention peaked and he turned to actually look at her, realizing that the said duelist was standing next to her.  
  
"Hi Kaiba!" Yugi said.  
  
"Is there something you want?" he asked Kaelyn, ignoring Yugi completely (and slightly irritating the young boy).  
  
"Like I said, just an introduction," she answered. "I don't know why, I just did. Maybe because you're cute."  
  
Yugi's temper rose slightly.  
  
Kaiba was thrown by this girl's open admission of interest. He was used to girls admiring him, but only from a distance. Never had a girl had the courage to come to him and admit that they thought he was cute. He gave her a look that caused Yugi's temper to rise even more.  
  
"Aren't you the new girl in my class?" he asked.  
  
"Hai, I am!" Kaelyn said, happy that he recognized her.  
  
She turned to strike up a conversation with Kaiba, her back facing Yugi, which was a lucky thing because the look in Yugi's eyes could have melted steel. He didn't know why he was feeling so irritated at the attention that Kaelyn was giving Kaiba, and the fact that he seemed to be slightly interested in her, but he was.  
  
"Have dinner with you?" Kaelyn spoke, pulling Yugi's (and everyone else's) complete attention to the conversation between her and the young billionaire.  
  
He nodded. "If you want to. It's usually just me and Mokuba, but he's spending the night at a friend's house, and a big mansion can get lonely without some company, so, do you want to come over to my place for dinner?"  
  
He . . . he was asking her out?! That stuck-up brat of a snob was asking Kaelyn on a date?!?!? Whatever semblance of control that remained to Yugi evaporated on the spot.  
  
"I don't think so . . ." Kaelyn said, all unaware of Yugi's anger.  
  
"Then what about seeing a movie with me sometime?" Kaiba persisted.  
  
"She said no, Kaiba," came a dangerous-sounding clam voice from behind Kaelyn. They both turned to look at Yugi and were startled by the pure venom in his eyes. If looks could kill, people would have lost count of how many times Kaiba would have croaked, and seeing such a look on the face of the boy who was supposed to be the sweetest in the city startled even Kaiba.  
  
And it was more unnerving to realize that the look was aimed at him.  
  
"How is it any of your business?" Kaiba asked coolly once he regained his composure.  
  
"I'm making it my business," Yugi replied in that still-quiet voice, which scared everyone present even more than if Yugi was shouting.  
  
"Stay out of it Yugi," the taller teen warned.  
  
"I won't stay out of anything unless you leave Kaelyn alone," Yugi said, his voice rising.  
  
"Listen here . . ." Kaiba began.  
  
"No, you listen," Yugi cut in, his voice still rising until he was shouting. "Kaelyn already said no, so why are you still asking her? Just back the fuck off Kaiba, and leave her the hell alone!!!"  
  
Yugi's language shocked even Yami, who was listening to the entire thing from the puzzle. Everyone was even more shocked when he put his hands on Kaelyn's shoulders and steered her out of the arcade. After a moment, his friends followed.  
  
"Um, Yugi . . ." Bakura began hesitantly.  
  
"I'm going home," Yugi said, having cooled off a bit and realized how badly he had overreacted. He hurried off, not looking anyone in the eye and absolutely refusing to look in Kaelyn's direction.  
  
As she watched the small light's retreating form, she heard Neferti say, // Why did he react like that? It wasn't like Kaiba was pestering you or anything. \\  
  
/ I'm wondering the same thing, Nef, \ Kaelyn replied.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cherry: Well?  
  
Yugi: (is in shock of what he did in the story)  
  
Yami: I can't imagine Yugi reacting like that to anything.  
  
Cherry: You can't, but I can, and I'm the one writing the story so Bleh! (sticks her tongue out at Yami)  
  
Yugi: . . . . .  
  
Cherry: Remember to review people! 


	8. Plans

"Heart's Desire"  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
"Plans"  
  
Cherry: I noticed in one review that Behold the Void commented on Yugi falling from character.  
  
Yugi: Well, it's because I am. I think so too!  
  
Yami: Yes, I agree. Would you care to explain?  
  
Cherry: I will explain. This chapter will hopefully clear it up. If not, then I'll be clearer by just writing it bluntly before the next chapter.  
  
Yami: Why not just write it now?  
  
Cherry: Because I'm me!  
  
Yugi: (rolls eyes) Anyways, let's get rolling. I want to know why you're having me act like this.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kaelyn sat down on her bed after she arrived home that night. She was wondering about Yugi's behavior at the mall's arcade earlier. She had always heard that Yugi was a sweet, caring, non-temper mental individual, and hanging out with him all week, she had learned for herself that it was the truth. That, however, had not been her sweet Yugi; that guy had been fairly mean, a good bit pushy, and . . .  
  
"Jealous?" Neferti suggested, appearing before Kaelyn.  
  
Kaelyn shook her head. "I doubt it. Yugi doesn't seem like the type to get jealous, and even if he was, why would he?"  
  
"Probably because that Kaiba guy was asking you out," Neferti said smugly. "It would seem that Yugi likes you in the same manner you like him!"  
  
Kaelyn looked down at the floor when her dark half made that statement. Yugi liked her? The very idea was laughable! Why would he go for a girl like her? Kaelyn knew full well how much of a bitch she was, constantly pushing people away with her sarcasm and temper. Kaelyn had a tendency to bring out the worst in other people.  
  
. . . Worst in other . . .  
  
Kaelyn slapped her forehead. Duh! Why hadn't she thought of that? She was doing it! Kaelyn brought out the worst in people! She knew she did, but until now she had never cared. She was the reason Yugi had been acting the way he had been; it was because she was a bad influence!  
  
Catching on to her Aibou's feelings, Neferti put her arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about a thing, Hikari. That boy has most likely been around the pharaoh for so long that he's rubbed off on him."  
  
"But why didn't it start showing until I was around?" Kaelyn asked sarcastically. Then she stopped. "See? There I go again! I always talk and act like this, and it brings out the worst in the people around me! That why Yugi's been . . ." Kaelyn stopped and dropped her head into her hands.  
  
Neferti looked at her Hikari and came to a decision. She had waited long enough. Kaelyn wanted to be with Yugi, the real Yugi, not the one who had been corrupted by the treacherous and deceitful Yami. Neferti decided that it was time for her to make her first move to destroy Yami for his betrayal. She knew of the risk involved, and the fact that she would most likely fail to rescue Yugi, but she had to try. Kaelyn heart was burning within her, crying out desperately for the small, violet-eyed youth who had stolen her emotions.  
  
Neferti placed her hand on Kaelyn's shoulder, catching her attention. Kaelyn looked at the dark spirit of the Millennium Sword. Neferti said, "Aibou, get the sword."  
  
Kaelyn bent down and reached under her bed. She pulled out a sword with a solid gold blade with a silver hilt and the Millennium symbol embedded into the pommel. It was really a beautiful thing. She held the sword out to Neferti, who shook her head and said," I am going to teach you something that will allow you to carry the sword with you wherever you go."  
  
Interested, Kaelyn turned to face Neferti directly, giving her complete attention.  
  
"Balance the sword on both your palms in front of you," Neferti instructed. Kaelyn did so. "Now focus your mind on the image of some sort of small dagger from your time. Perhaps a pocketknife will do."  
  
Kaelyn closed her eyes and created a mental picture of a pocketknife.  
  
"Now focus that image onto the sword."  
  
Kaelyn did as she was told, and felt something shrinking in her hands. She opened her eyes and looked at the sword. Instead of the beautifully crafted golden Egyptian sword, in her hands was a silver-cased pocketknife with a golden blade.  
  
Kaelyn stared at the small thing. "How did I do that?" she asked.  
  
Neferti smiled. "To be honest, you didn't. All you did was tell the sword what form to take. Because a sword is less than inconspicuous, it has the unique ability to change its appearance so that it may be hidden. All you need to do is tell it what form to take."  
  
"How do I change it back?"  
  
"Simply imagine the sword in its true form and send it to the sword. It will reform instantly. The more you practice, the easier it will become."  
  
Neferti stood and went over to Kaelyn's window. Kaelyn blinked. That was odd. She sensed something similar to incoherency from Nef. What was that?  
  
It was fortunate that Neferti was facing away from Kaelyn, because she had an evil smile on her face and her eyes were glowing a dark green; a sign of her insanity. Neferti was imagining how sweet it would be to finally exact her vengeance on Yami and at last killing him. She thought privately, [I will destroy you utterly for taking everything away from me, including my heart.]  
  
~*~*~  
  
Yugi and Yami sat on Yugi's bed, trying to figure out why Yugi had been the way he had been since Kaelyn showed up when suddenly Yami sensed a great power. His head shot up and he looked around sharply to the window, knowing what that power must be.  
  
"Neferti," he murmured.  
  
"What's that?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Neferti's power. I can sense it. It would seem that she has grown tired of waiting, and she's ready to make her first move."  
  
\ How do you know? / Yugi asked in his mind, to shocked to speak.  
  
\\ I can sense her power, Aibou, and I know her well enough to know what she must be planning. //  
  
Yugi had the feeling that Yami was editing out some details, but he had learned by that time to not press the subject of Neferti; such action usually resulted in an emotional shut down from Yami.  
  
"So what are we going to do?" Yugi asked.  
  
"We wait. It's all we can do without endangering you and Kaelyn. I personally don't care if I do lose my life to bring Neferti back to normal, but I won't risk you're life by going to attack her right now, and I doubt that she will come to get me because of the danger to Kaelyn."  
  
Yugi sighed. He was tired of waiting too. He wanted to save Neferti and Kaelyn, but he couldn't do without Yami's help, and since the dark spirit was unwilling to take action just yet, he had no choice but to wait some more.  
  
Wonderful.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cherry: Well? Does that help explain Yugi a bit?  
  
Yugi and Yami: . . .  
  
Cherry: Fine. Review people! And please, tell me if you think I should change something in the story to make it better, because I'm starting to think that it's starting to suck. 


	9. Discontinuation Note

I will not be continuing this story. I feel that it's really starting to suck, and in all honesty, even if it didn't, I just don't care about it anymore. I'm more concerned about "Dark and Light" and "Don't Say Goodbye." Sorry to those of you who enjoyed this story, but it will be going no further.  
  
~ Cherry ~ 


End file.
